Communications cables are frequently terminated with a connector that can be used to removably connect one communications cable with another. Telephone cables and computer network cables are two examples of communications cables that are often terminated with connectors. Examples of these types of connectors include plugs and jacks. Commercially available plugs and jacks can have a variety of configurations. One extremely common configuration is the 8P8C (8 position, 8 contact) connector configuration for jacks and plugs, which is also often referred to as an RJ45 connector configuration. This standardized configuration is used for, among other things, connecting computer networking cables.
A typical jack (8P8C, RJ45 or otherwise) has a number of electrical terminals or contacts for electrically connecting wires of a cable to the jack. The jack also has a receptacle configured to receive a matching plug that is electrically connected to another cable. The process of connecting the individual wires in a cable to a jack can involve a number of different steps depending on the design of the jack and the number and type of wires within the cable. As just one example, terminating a Category 5E cable at an 8P8C/RJ45 jack involves, among other things, making individual electrical connections between each of eight twisted pair wires in the Cat 5E cable and a corresponding jack terminal. In cases in which the jack includes insulation displacement contacts (IDCs), a special punch down tool is often used to ensure that each wire is sufficiently inserted into the IDC to make electrical contact with the terminal.
As communications cables, such as those used in computer networks, become ever more prevalent within homes and businesses, communications connectors (e.g., computer network jacks) are needed in numerous locations to quickly and reliably connect to the communications cables. While technicians and some homeowners are capable of installing these types of connectors, often with the use of special tools, there remains a desire to simplify or otherwise improve the communications connectors and the installation process, including the steps for terminating cable wires at the jack.